Survey Into Public Attitudes To Nurses And Midwives

In the first research of its kind in Ireland, NMBI commissioned Amárach Research to conduct a survey of 1,001 members of the general public to identify public perception of nurses and midwives.

Please click here to view a powerpoint document of the full breakdown of the survey's findings.

Click here to view more articles from An Bord Altranais Newsletter 'Ezine'

Health Promotion and Health Studies

Two authors who provide opportunities for Health Promotion through their various texts on Health Studies - Jennie Naidoo and Jane Wills

(A) - Developing practice for public health and health promotion.    Edinburgh : Bailliere Tindall  2010 3rd ed (B) - Foundations for health promotion  Edinburgh ; New York : Baillière Tindall/Elsevier  2009 3rd ed. http://books.google.ie/books/about/Developing_Practice_for_Public_Heal These and other titles provided by the Naidoo and Wills team may be located at 306.461 HEA as well as 613 NAI

Public Health Series:

The Library holds a number of titles from the Open University Press.
The series - Understanding Public Health includes titles which are located
within a variety of Library sections -

One title from Understanding Public Health series:
Environment, Health and Sustainable Development - Landon


is located at 362.1 LAN

Virtual arm eases phantom limb pain

Doctors have devised a new way to treat amputees with phantom limb pain.

Using computer-generated augmented reality, the patient can see and move a virtual arm controlled by their stump.

Electric signals from the muscles in the amputated limb "talk" to the computer, allowing real-time movement.

Amputee Ture Johanson says his pain has reduced dramatically thanks to the new computer program, which he now uses regularly in his home.

After a below-elbow amputation he faced daily pain and discomfort emanating from his now missing arm and hand.

Over the decades he has tried numerous therapies, including hypnosis, to no avail.

Within weeks of starting on the augmented reality treatment in Max Ortiz Catalan's clinic at Chalmers University of Technology, his pain has now eased.

Max Ortiz Catalan, the brains behind the new treatment, says giving the muscles a work-out while being able to watch the actions carried out may be key to the therapy.

"The motor areas in the brain needed for movement of the amputated arm are reactivated, and the patient obtains visual feedback that tricks the brain into believing there is an arm executing such motor commands. He experiences himself as a whole, with the amputated arm back in place."

He says it could also be used as a rehabilitation aid for people who have had a stroke or those with spinal cord injuries.

View more information on here

Health Psychology

A primary title within the field of health psychology is
Health Psychology - Edward P Sarafino.

Edward P. Sarafino

http://books.google.ie/books/about/Health_Psycholog
The seventh edition of this title may be consulted at

616.0019 SAR

Research finds link between nurse workloads and patient deaths

Ireland had a patient-to-nurse ratio of 6.9 to one in 2009-10

Research conducted in nine European countries, including Ireland, has identified a link between the number of nurses employed in a hospital and patient deaths after common surgical procedures.

The study, published online today in the The Lancet, found that better education and better staffing of nurses reduced the number of patient deaths.

Every extra patient added to a nurse's workload increases the risk of death within a month of surgery by 7%, according to data from 300 European hospitals in the nine countries.

The situation is made worse by employing poorly qualified nurses, the research showed.

When nurses had university degrees, this went a long way towards making up for reduced staffing levels.

A 10% increase in the proportion of nurses holding a bachelor degree was associated with 7% lower surgical death rates.

Ireland had a patient-to-nurse ratio of 6.9 to one, Norway had 5.2, the Netherlands 7.0, Finland and Sweden 7.6, and England 9.0.

US expert Professor Linda Aiken, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, who led the research, said: "Our findings emphasise the risk to patients that could emerge in response to nurse staffing cuts under recent austerity measures, and suggest that an increased emphasis on bachelor's education for nurses could reduce hospital deaths."

The study, which also included researchers from Dublin City University, analysed information on more than 420,000 patients admitted to hospitals in Ireland, Belgium, England, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Read full article in the Lancet here

View press release on RTE/Health here

New WHO analysis shows alarming rates of overweight children

According to the World Health Organisation - Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these are living in developing countries.

Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable. Prevention of childhood obesity therefore needs high priority.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents is defined according to the WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents (overweight = one standard deviation body mass index for age and sex, and obese = two standard deviations body mass index for age and sex).

• What is overweight and obesity?
• Why does it matter?
• What are the causes?
• What can be done?

New WHO analysis shows alarming rates  of overweight childrenPress releaseCopenhagen and Athens, 25 February 2014

Major heart healing trial starts

The biggest ever stem cell trial involving heart attack patients has got under way in London. The study, which will involve 3,000 patients in 11 European countries, should show whether the treatment can cut death rates and repair damaged tissue after a heart attack.

All the patients will have standard treatment to widen their narrowed arteries, which involves inserting a small tube called a stent. In addition, half the patients will have stem cells taken from their bone marrow and injected into their heart.

This will happen within days of them suffering a heart attack.

During a heart attack, a fatty plaque causes a blood clot inside an artery, starving heart muscle of oxygen and leaving scar tissue.

Although more and more patients are surviving heart attacks, they can be left considerably weaker because heart muscle has been permanently damaged.

"After 15 years of research we will now have a clear answer. We hope to show that stem-cell injections can cut the number of people dying from heart attacks by 25%.

"If it works, it would open up a whole new branch of medicine, and give heart attack patients an entirely new treatment."

The trial includes hospitals in the UK and in other major European cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Milan and Copenhagen.

The study, known as the BAMI (bone acute myocardial infarction), has received nearly £5m from the European Commission. 

The results will be announced in 5 years.

View more information here

Medical Features of Fitness for Work

The medical aspects associated with work may be consulted in
Palmer's Fitness for Work - The Medical Aspects


The fourth edition of this title may be consulted
at 616.9803 FIT

Pregnancy study leads to fewer high birth weight babies

The world's biggest study offering healthy eating and exercise advice to pregnant women who are overweight or obese has shown a significant reduction in the number of babies born over 4kg in weight.  

The LIMIT Study, led by researchers from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute and the Women's and Children's Hospital, involved more than 2200 pregnant women from 2008-2011.

In the first major results from the LIMIT Study, published this week in the British Medical Journal, the researchers say that providing advice and assistance to adopt a healthy diet and regular exercise during pregnancy has led to an 18% reduction in the chance of a baby being born over 4kg."This is a very important finding," says the lead author of the study, Professor Jodie Dodd from the University's Robinson Institute and the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Professor Dodd says overweight and obesity during pregnancy are common, affecting approximately 50% of women, and until now there has been little evidence about the benefit of dietary and lifestyle interventions on clinical outcomes in this group of women.

About half of the women who took part in the study were provided with dietary and lifestyle advice promoting healthy eating and exercise, consistent with current Australian recommendations. The remaining women continued to receive routine antenatal care.

The full paper can be found at the British Medical Journal website.

View more information here

Health Promotion Title

A very popular Health Promotion title -
Health Promotion Settings - Scriven and Hodgins

this book is located at 613 HEA







Margaret Hodgins is a staff-member at NUI Galway

New books in Nursing & Midwifery Library

Located at 610.73019 BAR

Located at 616.46240654 NUT

Located at 362.16 ULS

Some new Nursing titles

Located at 618.92 SHE

Located at 618.242 NUT

Located at 616.07543 PRA

DNA prostate test 'will predict deadliest cancer risk'

DNA testing can predict which men face the highest risk of deadly prostate cancer, scientists say.

The team at the Institute of Cancer Research, in London, say men could soon be offered genetic screening in a similar way to breast cancer in women.

They have shown 14 separate mutations can greatly increase the odds of aggressive prostate cancers, which could form the basis of a test.

Prostate Cancer UK said such testing could "revolutionise" care for men.

Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men in many countries, including the UK - where more than 40,000 people are diagnosed each year.

But not every patient has, or needs, invasive therapy that results in severe side-effects.  Identifying which men will need treatment - those who are likely to develop the most aggressive and deadly form of the cancer - is a huge challenge.

The researchers took blood samples from 191 men with prostate cancer and at least three close family members with the same condition.Each was tested for risky mutations - this included the BRCA genes that are involved in repairing DNA and already linked to breast and ovarian cancers.The results, published in the British Journal of Cancer, show that 7% of the men had one of 14 high-risk mutations.The researchers said that it was also these men who had the aggressive prostate cancer that had started to spread around the body.View more information here

Simply Psychology 3rd Edition by Michael Eysenck

Located in the Nursing & Midwifery Library at 150 EYS

New approach cuts hospital medicine errors

A new way of managing medicines in hospitals could significantly reduce the incidence of medication errors, an Irish study has found.

A medication error is a mistake involving a medication. This could include a mistake with the dose, adding a medication that should not be present or missing out on a medication altogether.  Such errors can affect how a drug works or could result in a patient requiring further medical care. A small number of errors even have the potential to cause serious harm.

The study, the first of its kind in Ireland, was carried out by researchers at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the pharmacy department of Tallaght Hospital. It involved doctors and hospital pharmacists taking a more collaborative approach to the management of medicines within the hospital setting.

This approach involved doctors and pharmacists working together at the time of admission, during the hospital stay and at discharge. With standard care, a hospital pharmacist would be involved at the time of admission and during the stay, but not at the time of discharge and they would not have the same degree of communication and collaboration with doctors.

The study showed that this new approach led to a 78% reduction in the number of patients experiencing medication errors at the time of admission to hospital, and a 79% reduction in errors at the time of discharge.
Details of this study are published in the journal, BMJ Quality & Safety.

View more information here

New addition to Nursing & Midwifery Library

Located at 610.72 BOW

Miscarriage risk 'reduced by lifestyle changes'

More than a quarter of first-time miscarriages could be prevented by making a combination of lifestyle changes, research in Denmark suggests.

Researchers said lifting more than 20kg (44lbs) each day during pregnancy and being obese or underweight increased the risk of miscarriage.  Women beyond their early 30s, who drank alcohol and worked night shifts during pregnancy were also more likely to miscarry, they said.  The study analysed 91,427 women.

In the UK, more than one in seven pregnancies ends in miscarriage.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, which carried out the work, said only by reducing all of the risk factors could they be prevented.  The paper was published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen, senior researcher at the University of Copenhagen, said: "The main message from the paper is that miscarriages are a subject for prevention."

Ms Nybo Andersen said the paper was significant as it showed the relative importance of different lifestyle factors in causing miscarriage, rather than more specific factors, such as certain pharmaceutical drugs.

As the findings were from the health perspective of a population, they could apply to lots of people - from individual couples to people in charge of maternity policies, work place regulations and supporting students who get pregnant, she said.

View more information here

Click here to read article: Risk factors for miscarriage from a prevention perspective: a nationwide follow-up study

Short films tackle stigma of memory loss

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have developed a series of online videos to allay fears about memory loss, promote brain health and tackle the stigma associated with dementia.

The animated films address common concerns about the effects of memory loss and dementia.

There are more than 41,000 people living with dementia and in three decades' time it is predicted that figure will rise to over 140,000.

According to the researchers on the Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives (NEIL) programme at Trinity's Institute of Neuroscience, stigma associated with dementia prevents open discussion of the condition and encourages the false belief that nothing can be done for people with dementia and their families.

The films tackle common worries about memory loss and dementia and provide advice about how to improve brain health.

Topics covered in the films include: When should I be concerned about my memory? What can you do to keep your brain healthy? And what is the difference between Alzheimer's and Dementia?

The FreeDem films project has been co-funded by GENIO, an independent, non-profit organisation based in Ireland.

The videos are available to view for free online at freedemliving.com and are also available on DVD.

Medical Illustration - Medical Textbooks

Have you wondered how those images arrive in your textbooks?

Medical Illustrators play an important role in providing images for your Reading List titles:




www.maet.org.uk indicates the role of The Medical Artist's Education Trust

Lasers used in meningitis tests by Strathclyde University scientists

Bacterial meningitis is most common in young children

Scientists at Strathclyde University have developed a new test to speed up the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.  It uses nanoparticles and lasers to "fingerprint" more than one bacterium at a time - and so opens the way for targeted treatment.  Unless caught quickly, bacterial meningitis can lead to blood poisoning and brain damage.

Details of the new test have been published in the journal Chemical Science.

Bacterial meningitis is most common in children under five and it can often take time to diagnose precisely which bacteria are responsible.

The new process - called Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) - scatters laser light from a sample that has been combined with silver nanoparticles.

It can fingerprint more than one bacterium at a time, allowing treatment to then be targeted.

Dr Karen Faulds, a reader in the department of pure and applied chemistry at Strathclyde university, said: "Essentially what you do is shine a laser beam at the molecule and measure the shift in wavelength.

"This gives you a fingerprint - what you call a vibrational spectrum.

"And you can definitively identify that molecule."

The Strathclyde researchers said their test could be applied to any kind of pathogen that contains DNA, like fungi or viruses.
View more here

Help for a scarred heart: Scarring cells turned to beating muscle

Poets and physicians know that a scarred heart cannot beat the way it used to, but the science of reprogramming cells offers hope—for the physical heart, at least.  

A team of University of Michigan biomedical engineers has turned cells common in scar tissue into colonies of beating heart cells. Their findings could advance the path toward regenerating tissue that's been damaged in a heart attack.  

Previous work in direct reprogramming, jumping straight from a cell type involved in scarring to heart muscle cells, has a low success rate. But Andrew Putnam, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and head of the Cell Signaling in Engineered Tissues Lab, thinks he knows at least one of the missing factors for better reprogramming.  

"Many reprogramming studies don't consider the environment that the cells are in—they don't consider anything other than the genes," he said. "The environment can dictate the expression of those genes."

The paper, entitled, "Matrix identity and tractional forces influence indirect cardiac reprogramming" is an open access article in Nature's Scientific Reports in December. This study was funded by the American Heart Association.


Read more here

Tiny motors controlled inside human cell

For the first time, scientists have placed tiny motors inside living human cells and steered them magnetically.

The advance represents another step towards molecular machines that can be used, for example, to release drugs into specific locations within the body.

There is interest in the approach because it could enhance the benefits of drugs while minimising side effects.

The rocket-shaped metal particles were propelled using ultrasound pulses.

Materials scientist Prof Tom Mallouk, from Penn State University, and colleagues have published their research in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Up until now, nanomotors have been studied only "in vitro" - in laboratory apparatus - but not in living human cells.

At low ultrasonic power, the nanomotors had little effect on these cells. But when the power was increased, the nanomotors surged into action, zooming around and bumping into organelles - structures within the cell that perform specific functions.

The nanomotors could be used as "egg beaters" to essentially homogenise the cell's contents, or act as battering rams to puncture the cell membrane.

"We might be able to use nanomotors to treat cancer and other diseases by mechanically manipulating cells from the inside," said Prof Mallouk.

In addition, he said: "Nanomotors could perform intracellular surgery and deliver drugs non-invasively to living tissues."

View more information here

Clinical Cases & OSCEs in Surgery

The most popular title in surgery at present, is also available online:

 Clinical Cases and OSCEs in Surgery - Ramachandran



Located at 617.0076 RAM

Youth Self-Esteem Education Programme:

SeeMySelf Programme

SeeMySelf - is an online psycho-education programme designed for young people aged 15-24. This programme focuses on different issues such as self-esteem, body image and media, and culture. Participants work through each of the six modules week by week, and are supported by an online supporter who will check in with them online once a week.

"It really makes you think about the way you describe yourself and the way you feel about yourself.  It makes you focus on all the positives and by doing so, helps you to see that the things you maybe don't like are part of what makes you unique."
– comments by Becca (participant in pilot programme).

If you would like to explore yourself more, if you would like to understand how your thinking influences how we feel, and if you would like an insight into how the media world influences the way we see ourselves, then this programme is for you.

LoCall helpline 1890 200 444

www.bodywhys.ie

Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN)

A new service provided by Galway and Roscommon Mental Health Services went live last week. The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service aims to provide support to General Practitioners (GP), and patients who present to them in difficult circumstances with thoughts of suicide. Access to the service is via a single mobile phone number, this gives GPs a direct access to the SCAN allowing for speedy referral and an immediate discussion of the case.  Shaun Smith, SCAN, has taken up his new post in GUH and is working with all the Community Mental Health Teams.  The post is one of the key posts that are being implemented as part of the reconfiguration of mental health services in Galway/Roscommon.

Following referral and discussion with the GP, the SCAN will arrange to see the client at the GP surgery within the coming days.  The patient will have a complete full bio-psychosocial assessment, identifying risk factors, and supports available etc, ending finally with an agreed plan of care aimed at alleviating the crisis and supporting longer term stability.

Catherine Cunningham, Galway Roscommon Area Manager, welcomed the new service saying, “In Ireland, the majority of individuals experiencing mental health problems will visit their General Practitioner (GP) and will remain exclusively under their care. People are generally much more comfortable with being seen in this environment, however, in the past GPs had no other choice but to refer individuals with mental health problems to specialist mental health services.  These are often based in the local hospital, with individuals often uncomfortable or unwilling to engage.  This new SCAN service allows GPs to get professional, specialist mental health advice for their patient in the GP practice or the patient’s home – a major development for patients with mental health difficulties.”

View more information here

National Office for Suicide Prevention

Food Safety Management Requirements:

ISO 22000 Food safety management systems

The ISO 22000 family of International Standards addresses food safety management.
The consequences of unsafe food can be serious and ISO’s food safety management standards help organizations identify and control food safety hazards. As many of today's food products repeatedly cross national boundaries, International Standards are needed to ensure the safety of the global food supply chain.
The ISO 22000 family contains a number of standards each focusing on different aspects of food safety management.

• ISO 22000:2005 contains the overall guidelines for food safety management.
• ISO/TS 22004:2005 contains guidelines for applying ISO 22000
• ISO 22005:2007 focuses on traceability in the feed and food chain
• ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 contains specific prerequisites for food manufacturing
• ISO/TS 22002-3:2011 contains specific prerequisites for farming
• ISO/TS 22003:2007 provides guidelines for audit and certification bodies

Belfast Medics develop X-ray app

New X-ray app can be used for testing and training worldwide

A group of medical consultants in Belfast have teamed up with IT specialists to develop a mobile app that can identify where a doctor is going wrong when interpreting X-rays.

The app helps medics develop their skills.  It also identifies areas of weakness that can be worked on in training and that could potentially save lives.

According to those behind the training tool, it is the first of its kind in the world.

Dr Tom Lynch is among the founders.  He said: "This is the medical and IT worlds coming together in Northern Ireland and producing something which is really unique."

Primarily the device, known as Experior, will be used in accident and emergency and cancer departments, but could eventually be rolled out across all health specialities and even into education, industry and financial services.

Dr Lynch is head of nuclear medicine at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre in Belfast.

View more information here

One in 25 Irish people at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

One in 25 Irish people are at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to a combination of inherited genes and exposure to cigarette smoke, a new study has found.

The study, by researchers from the Alpha One Foundation, the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) and Harvard University, is published this month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The debilitating lung condition is linked to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (alpha-1), an inherited condition affecting almost 250,000 people in this country.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a protein which protects the lungs and people with lower than normal amounts of this protein are at an increased risk of developing COPD.

Doctors leading the research are urging people diagnosed with COPD - an estimated 440,000 people - to get tested for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency through a free national screening programme.

Professor Gerry McElvaney, Professor of Medicine at RCSI, principal investigator and chairman of the Alpha One Foundation Ireland said the research was a major breakthrough in understanding the heightened risk of COPD for people with have the combination of one normal and one abnormal alpha-1 antitrypsin gene.

Read abstract here

View full article in Irish Times here

European Epilepsy Day

EED 2014
The 4th annual European Epilepsy Day takes place on Monday, 10th February 2014.

The theme for EED 2014 will be ‘Epilepsy is more than Seizures’.

Irish Branch - www.epilepsy.ie

 

Preserving brain health

People with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may also have larger brain volumes in old age equivalent to preserving one-to-two years of brain health, according to a study published in the January 22, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Shrinking brain volume is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as normal aging.

For the study, the levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA+DHA in red blood cells were tested in 1,111 women who were part of the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. Eight years later, when the women were an average age of 78, MRI scans were taken to measure their brain volume.

Those with higher levels of omega-3s had larger total brain volumes eight years later. Those with twice as high levels of fatty acids (7.5 vs 3.4 per cent) had a 0.7 per cent larger brain volume.

“These higher levels of fatty acids can be achieved through diet and the use of supplements, and the results suggest that the effect on brain volume is the equivalent of delaying the normal loss of brain cells that comes with ageing by one-to-two years,” said study author James Pottala, PhD, of the University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc in Richmond, VA, in the US.

Those with higher levels of omega-3s also had a 2.7 per cent larger volume in the hippocampus area of the brain, which plays an important role in memory.

In Alzheimer’s disease, the hippocampus begins to atrophy even before symptoms appear.

View abstract here: ‘Higher RBC EPA + DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes.’

Linking Health to Lifestyle Changes

'Affluent lifestyle changes' to blame for cancer increase

A consultant oncologist at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin has said "affluent lifestyle changes" are to blame for an increase in cancer cases in Ireland.

Dr Janis Walsh said increasing obesity, reduced exercise and increased alcohol intake are the main factors responsible and those with a body mass index (bmi) in excess of 25 tend to have an increased risk of cancer.
Dr Walsh said that changing lifestyle choices would radically cut the risk of cancer.

"It is estimated that we could reduce our cancers by between 30 and 50% by making sure we are of adequate weight, that we are exercising, and right now what's recommended is 30 minutes up to five times a week."

She added that studies have shown that reducing alcohol intake would also reduce the risk.
"So what we see in terms of cancer, particularly my area of interest would be breast cancer, we have many studies saying that if we go beyond two units a day there's an increased cancer risk associated with that and an increased cancer recurrence rate."

Dr Walsh said that an increase of cancers in the developing world is due to a lack of screening such as for breast and cervical cancer.

She said that new campaigns aimed at tackling obesity were very positive and that education would be the key to preventing cancer cases among younger generations.

"Education is the important thing here and I think that getting into our schools on an early basis will be key in terms of educating about careful sun exposure, appropriate foods to eat, the importance of getting out and exercising."

Tinnitus Awareness Week 3-9 February

'Tinnitus risk' of nosiy nights out - many over-ride the 'safe' levels on their phones

About two-thirds of people are left with ringing in their ears after a night out at a club, gig or pub, a poll suggests.

Campaign group Action on Hearing Loss said the poll of 1,000 adults also showed a third would ignore the "safe level" on their music players.

The group warns that people doing either increase the risk of tinnitus.

DJ Paul Oakenfold urged people to wear ear defenders to gigs and to "turn down the volume".

Paul Breckell, chief executive of Action on Hearing Loss, said: "Listening to loud music for a long time can trigger tinnitus and is an indication of damaged hearing.

"Most people have experienced tinnitus, but those who are severely affected can experience fear, anxiety and feelings of helplessness that affect their quality of life.

View more information here

Study on the Health Effects of Pylons

European Commission

A preliminary study by the European Commission on the health effects of pylons, to be published later, is expected to cast doubt on fears that pylons pose health risks to humans.The report will trigger a consultation process on the alleged risks of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) with a comprehensive report being published in mid April.

The study of the impact of power lines and pylons on human health has been compiled by a European Commission scientific panel and is based on a review of "hundreds" of studies carried out over the past five years.

A similar study published in 2009 found no serious risk to human health from pylons.
The forthcoming consultation process will invite submissions from interested parties and stakeholders, and will include public meetings.
A European Commission source said that the preliminary report will say there is no health risk caused by Electromagnetic Fields.

The report, entitled 'A Preliminary Opinion of the Committee on the Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields', will become available online.